Pleasures of the Road

Pleasures of the Road is a random encounter in Tales from the Tiers.

Transcript
A large carriage has been parked by the side of the road. Several Beastmen workers regard you with dull expressions and motion towards the crest of a nearby hillock, more interested in catching some rest. You hear a laugh and the splash of water beyond it, audible over the roar of the nearby river. Demand that the services be given for free. Decline the offer and leave. [40 rings] Spend time with the man. [50 rings] Spend time with the woman. Citing your position as a Fatebinder, you demand that all services be offered without charge in support of ongoing war efforts. The 'businessman' stammers for a moment before nodding, dutifully, gesturing towards the pair with a strained smile. You don't have time for such distractions and decline the man's offer, turning back to rejoin the road. You venture off and find some privacy amongst a copse of trees. The man proves himself to be a skillful but taciturn lover, approaching his job with almost workmanlike focus. The strong and silent type, perhaps. His lack of overt charisma doesn't detract from the experience, however, and you find yourself very, very satisfied. She grabs you by the hand and leads you into a small tent, scented heavily of lilies. She disrobes quickly and gestures impatiently towards the fur-lined floor. Seeing your hesitation, she pushes you to the ground and climbs on top of you, quickly beginning the session with nary a word. Despite the rushed experience, you can't fault her skills, which prove formidable enough to bring you to a swift conclusion. Leave. You nod to the flesh-peddler and thank him for his services, turning back towards the main road. One of the prostitutes suddenly starts walking towards you, but stops herself as the finely-dressed man calls out to her sharply. Her shoulders slump and she lets out an loud sigh, sitting back down on the ground. It isn't long before the group is no longer visible from the road. [75 rings] Request time with both of the prostitutes. The finely-dressed man pauses at the suggestion, but ultimately succumbs to your offer of rings. He gestures to the pair, who nod and take you by the rocky riverbank, a decidedly uncomfortable-looking location for tripartite coitus. The river churns loudly at your feet, obscuring all noise beyond the immediate area. As the two disrobe, they shout above the water's roar, frantically explaining that they are nobles of Ardent and have been kidnapped by Brotherhood extortionists. You have just enough time to realize that this isn't an oddly-specific customer fantasy before the pair's handler arrives, flanked by two Beastmen. Despite their precautions, the pairs' voices carried far enough to be overheard. The man leading the entourage doesn't deny his affiliation with the Brotherhood, instead explaining that his captives are the adult children of a powerful Ardent noble, taken captive while the Brotherhood was on contract with the Voices of Nerat and thus, he contends, legally acquired. The two prisoners look at you expectantly, awaiting your response. Execute the kidnapper. Allow the agent to continue on his mission. Demand a bribe in exchange for your cooperation. Convince the man that this plan will backfire. Convince the Beastmen to turn on their master. You declare the flesh-peddler guilty of various transgressions against Kyros' law, though kidnapping is all that's needed to justify his death. The Brotherhood agent grabs a heavy blade, and shouts for his Beastmen slaves to fight. The trio are well-coordinated and surprisingly skilled, and though you ultimately subdue them, you do not do so without injury. With the fighting over, the two captives quickly don proper clothes for the road, thanking you profusely for your assistance. They promise to spread word of your deeds, and to send a suitable reward upon their return to Ardent. Before you leave, you rummage through the carriage along the road, grabbing hold of supplies and valuables, a suitable recompense for your trouble. You inform the Brotherhood agent that there is no legal quarrel with his arrangement. The female captive looks aghast at your words, but is held back by her brother. You make it clear that this situation is of little concern to you, so long as your visit is treated as a matter of hospitality, as befits a Fatebinder. The Brotherhood agent is all too happy to acquiesce, gifting you a bag of rings for the pleasure of your company. You inform the Brotherhood agent that his plan is a few years too late. The wealthiest of Ardent have perished in the war or become embittered by loss. The former is unlikely to be able to afford a ransom, the latter is likely to view the hostage offer as an insult and strike back rather than negotiate. The Brotherhood agent is sufficiently perturbed by your words, and motions for the Beastmen to stand down. The two nobles quickly throw on proper clothes for the road, thanking you profusely for your assistance. They promise to spread word of your deeds, and to send a suitable reward upon their return to Ardent. Before he leaves, the agent sheepishly hands you a pouch of rings, hoping to absolve himself further of any wrongdoing. You depart the river, satisfied with the turn of events. You ignore the Brotherhood agent, locking eyes instead the Beastmen under his control. You speak of your time with the tribes to establish your authority, then shame them for subservience to such a lowly human - a crime akin to following the lowliest of bolverks. Spend time with the male prostitute. Spend time with the female prostitute. You nod to the flesh-peddler and thank him for his services, turning back towards the main road. One of the prostitutes suddenly starts walking towards you, but stops herself as the finely-dressed man calls out to her sharply. Her shoulders slump and she lets out an loud sigh, sitting back down on the ground. It isn't long before the group is no longer visible from the road. You nod to the flesh-peddler and thank him for his services, turning back towards the main road. One of the prostitutes suddenly starts walking towards you, but stops herself as the finely-dressed man calls out to her sharply. Her shoulders slump and she lets out an loud sigh, sitting back down on the ground. It isn't long before the group is no longer visible from the road. With the fighting over, the two captives quickly don proper clothes for the road, thanking you profusely for your assistance. They promise to spread word of your deeds, and to send a suitable reward upon their return to Ardent. Before you leave, you rummage through the carriage along the road, grabbing hold of supplies and valuables, a suitable recompense for your trouble. As you approach the bank, you see two figures in the water, bathing themselves. On the shore, a tall man draped in fine fabrics takes notice of you and lets out a piercing whistle - a well-muscled man and a curvaceous women rush out of the stream in response, wrapping themselves in thick robes. The tall man greets you with an exaggerated bow, and explains that he is a pleasure provider, of the itinerant variety. He gestures to the pair, both of whom are strikingly attractive, and asks if you're in the mood to partake. Afterward, as you lay upon the grass, panting, he takes your hand and leads you back to the riverbank. He gestures towards his partner, asking if you have the stamina to enjoy both of them at the same time. The flesh-peddler cocks an eyebrow, looking at you to see how you'll respond. Before you can even catch your breath, she kicks open the flap of the tent and walks you out. As you pass by her partner, she flashes you a rare smile - the first you've seen on her face - and asks if you think you can handle two of them at once. Your words catch fire in their minds, and they turn upon their master with monstrous ferocity, raking him repeatedly across the face from both sides. He drops to the ground, his head a ragged and misshapen crimson pulp. The Beastmen let out a victorious cry before bounding across the river, to destinations to unknown. Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Your most cunning argument fails to sway the agent. Your most cunning argument fails to sway the agent. Look around and check for an ambush. The peddler and his prostitutes aren't armed, and little of their chosen spot along the bank suggests a trap. Two small tents have been erected atop soft patches of grass. You peer inside their open flaps and see nothing but blankets, colorful pillows and jars of fragrant perfume - hardly a threatening sight. Still damp, the muscular man raises the sleeve of his robe to dab his forehead, exposing a leather band around his wrist. Though solid for half its length, the rest of it separates into finely twisted strips of leather coiled through seashells - a common design found in coastal Ardent. You count four shells on the band, a discreet but unmistakable signifier of nobility. Question the peddler about the armband. Ignore the oddity. Though the armband's design raises uncomfortable questions, you banish any such thoughts from your mind. The peddler, uncertain how to interpret your hesitation, simply repeats his earlier question and gestures towards the uncomfortable-looking prostitutes. You point out the peculiarity of the armband, an item reserved for Ardent nobility yet somehow in the hands of the peddler's worker. As you voice your question, the female prostitute lunges forward and grabs your hands, pleading with you for assistance. Between frantic sobs, she blurts out that they are Ardent nobles that have been kidnapped by Brotherhood extortionists. The peddler jams a few fingers into his mouth and issues a piercing whistle, quickly summoning the Beastmen guards to his side. He doesn't deny his affiliation with the Brotherhood, instead explaining that his captives are the adult children of a powerful Ardent noble, taken captive while the Brotherhood was on contract with the Voices of Nerat and thus, he contends, legally acquired. The two prisoners look at you expectantly, awaiting your response. Continue... Continue... You inform the Brotherhood agent that his plan is a few years too late. The wealthiest of Ardent have perished in the war or become embittered by loss. The former is unlikely to be able to afford a ransom, the latter is likely to view the hostage offer as an insult and strike back rather than negotiate. Convince the man that this plan will backfire. The peddler and his prostitutes aren't armed, and little of their chosen spot along the bank suggests a trap. Two small tents have been erected atop soft patches of grass. You peer inside their open flaps and see nothing but blankets, colorful pillows and jars of fragrant perfume - hardly a threatening sight.